On The Occasion of Krishna Janmasthmi

Be Born again Krishna

Be born in my thoughts, Be born in my deeds

Be born in my words, be born in my greets

Be born to establish the righteousness again

Be born to release the people from sufferings and pain

Be born again to awaken and enlighten the dormant Arjuna in our men

Be born again to arouse and unveil the Meera in women

Your Geeta sure is safe underneath the temple bricks

But to earn and win in life we rely on Shakuni’s tricks 

You spoke of rituals to evoke devotion, love and spiritual experiences so fulfilling

But for the sake of those rituals people have taken up killing

Duhshashan has become even stronger

For he believes Krishna will not hear Draupdi’s plea any longer

Be born again Krishna, Be born again to reinstate the order

Let us also witness a world full of life, love and harmony

Let the music of your flute purify our atmosphere both inner and outer

Be born again Krishna 

Be born in my thoughts, in my conscience, 

Take me from the darkness to the divine light

Don’t hide any more deep in my heart and disguise

                              Take over my soul, let me feel the bliss and experience the delight.

Krsihna Janmashtmi

कृष्णा फिर से धरती पे आओ

फिर से पुरूषों मे अर्जुन ,अभिमन्यु

माताओं मे देवकी, यशोदा

युवतिओं मे मीरा, राधा जगाओ

धर्म का तुमने जो पाठ पढ़ाया था

जिसको समझाने  के लिए महाभारत रचाया था

उस धर्म के अब मायने बदल गए हैं

रिवाज़ों को धर्म मान लोग अब मरने मारने पर  उतर गए हैं

धर्म तो मंदिरो और कथाओं मे सिमित है

जीने की शैली तो शकुनि की  सोच से निर्मित है

दुह्शाशन के हौसले बुलंद हैं

वो समझता है कृष्णा की  तो आँखें बंद हैं

द्रौपदी का विश्वास भी डगमगा रहा है

अस्त्र उठा लो अब श्याम ना आएंगे हर कोई उसे यही समझा रहा है

कहा था तुमने जब जब अधर्म बढ़ेगा

धर्म की स्थापना के लिए तुम आओगे

मुझे यकीन है तुम अपना वादा निभाओगे

हम भटके हुए लोगों को फिर से राह दिखाओगे

अपने भक्तों के इस भरोसे को सही ठहराओ

हे कृष्णा फिर से धरती पे आओ

पुरुषों मे अर्जुन अभिमन्यु

युवतियों मे मीरा राधा जगाओ 

Old Friend or New

They say old is gold, new is gem
How do I judge which one is you
Somebody please ask them

If they say the measure is time since I know you
please tell them that doesn’t hold true
because with you the time just flew

It feels like just yesterday when we met
but the bond we share
says for ages we have been there

So how do I judge Please ask them

If they say it’s how well you know me
tell them like the other self I think of thee
but it’s the acceptance that you provide
to my unknown unrevealed side
which keeps the newness of our relation alive

The time spent with you helps me find in me something new
How can such a relation be old, so you aren’t  the gold
The comfort we share cannot be with all but only with significant few
How can a relation provide this if it’s still new

So to answer the Gold & Gem may be precious for them

For me it’s our FRIENDSHIP, which I cherish
to define it they will have to find another way
Because like the worldly things with time it won’t perish
And with unexpected it wouldn’t sway

  

And The Lord did Answer Me - Trip to Dwarka

A wedding invitation to Ahmedabad, in the scorching month of May would never have been such an excitement if not for the possibility that it brings along with, possibility to visit Dwarka, the place where the Lord Krishna had lived. Everything about it was so very exciting, the history , the stories, the miracle. Since childhood I loved reading and listening to the stories of Lord Krishna. The fondness kept increasing day by day . I moved from the stories of Childhood Krishna to the Mahabharat- Geeta and reading books and articles on philosophies of Krishna. The more I read   the more the curiosity grew- ultimately it led to an inner quest a quest of finding Krishna. Several times I felt like going to Mathura, Vrindavan, or Dwarka but never could actually plan. Thus when this invitation came I was so thrilled– I thought this is the invitation from the Supreme itself

The trip was planned. Me, my husband and my Mother in law all set for the trip, started our journey. My Mother in law was equally excited about going to Dwarka. Being quiet a religious person, she follows Bhagwat and performs daily Puja with utter faith. She had her own reasons to feel that this indeed was an invitation from Lord for us to visit him. We took the overnight train from Indore and next day at around 11 AM reached Ahmedabad. We took the cab and headed towards Dwarka. It is around 8-9 hours journey. Throughout the journey we discussed about mystics of Krishna. I kept reading Gita, thinking and discussing over every verse. As we were approaching Dwarka the excitement grew, the fact that Krishna had lived here, he breathed here, spoke here in this air, made me feel elated. 

We reached Dwarka at around 7 in the evening checked into the hotel, freshened up and headed straight to the temple. Mother was particularly excited as she wanted to catch the evening aarti.  With all our excitement and anxiety we drove through the narrow crowded and bustling roads of Dwarka. The city of Dwarka is said to have been submerged into sea for six times in the past and the current  is the 7th city rebuilt in that area. We reached a square surrounded by shops all around. I looked around to realize that Krishna Idols, flutes and many other decorative items were being sold. A very lively market it was. The Driver then pointed out to the right showing us the temple. As we got down the car the first thing I noticed was the architecture of the temple, a familiar cone shaped top and a saffron coloured flag on its peak, it looked like an under construction building. The flag is said to be changed 5 times a day and each flag having different colour has its own significance.We walked towards the temple we were escorted by group of Pandas or the Pandits offering us their services to take us through the temple and tell us about it, they were saying “we don’t charge anything we just want people coming here to know more about this place and Krishna’s life here”. I was in two minds whether we should hire one of them or ignore them. Would they be telling me about the temple its history, would they tell me more about Krishna, something that I don’t know, would they help me understand Krishna, would they help me realize Krishna, ultimately would they help me find Krishna. Just when thinking all this I could not resist and asked one of them, who was still following – “when was this temple made”- the others pounced over – “I approached you first, you can’t go with him”, I could sense the enmity they had for each other. I got my answer- I don’t need their help.

The entrance of the temple is heavily guarded, separate queues for men & women. Every person entering the temple is thoroughly checked by security officials. Cameras and phones are not allowed inside the temple. Finally after all the security check in we entered the temple. Devotees were standing in a queue to see the main deity Krishna- Dwarkadish as famously called here. We got in the queue, after 10 minutes our turn came, Mother offered flowers, and fruits that she had got, to the deity, took blessing from aarti. I looked at the idol for a moment. It was a black colour small idol covered with blue velvet cloth. There is a story behind the idol as well, it is said that there was a devotee who used to come here daily and offer his prayers , the Lord was so impressed with him that one day the Idol followed him and went with him, when the priests found the Idol missing they thought that the devotee has stolen it and they went to take it from him, he tried to explain and convinced them to take the gold from him as the weight of idol and let him keep the idol, but when the idol was weighed to everyone's surprise it weighed only as much as the weight of a nose ring, as the devotee only had a gold nose ring to offer. The priests were then told that they will get a new Idol soon in the temple, but the priests could not hold their anxiety and excavated the temple that night itself and thus found this yet to grow idol.  I thought, so this is Krishna – I want to talk to him, I have questions, I want to express my feelings. I want to sit with him, just then a hand waved in-front of my eyes, I was awakened from my thoughts. It was Priest’s hand, he was signalling to move as others were waiting for their turn. We then went on to see other parts of the temple. Archaeological findings suggest this temple to be 2,200 - 2,000 years old. A memorial within the temple is dedicated to Adi Shankaracharya. The temple became part  of the char Dhams after his visit. In one of the chambers there were idols of all wives of Krishna. There were information and stories written next to each idol, stories that we have read, seen on television or heard from people. In another part there was an idol of Baldaun in yet other idols of Mothers of Krishna. The curtains are drawn every five minutes and the idols are covered. In the centre of the temple there is a verandah where lots of people were sitting and talking, some were chanting some mantras, some talking about the beauty of the place and the idols. A small boy sitting there was offering Ganga Jal to everyone. We decided to sit there in the verandah for some time.


While sitting there I was thinking will I get answers to my curiosity, to my purpose of coming here, to my anxiety on the importance of this place. If Krishna had actually lived on this earth in human form and since centuries the world has been influenced by the Legend, then the actual place where he had lived on this earth should have some more of Krishna, some more of Krishna in the people, in the thoughts, in the conscience, in the atmosphere. I meditated there for some time with a hope that the vibrations in this divine place will leave some impact on me. After spending some time in the temple we decided to leave, once again my eyes started scanning the corners of the temple, the architecture, the idols, the information plate, people around, their behaviour, to see if anything is inspired by Krishna, of his being here.

On the way back to the car, the road was occupied by beggars, a usual and painful sight around every temple. Wonder if this is God’s way of telling us that there are more needy people, there are more of hardships and struggle. Or a way of putting forth the question-‘Before asking for more favours from God , of what use have we put our resources, how much have we helped the needy and how much have we contributed to humanity’.Next Morning we went to visit Bhet Dwarka. It’s a village / a small island. The first sight entering village was that of small shops selling beaded colourful lamps, idols of baby Krishna and other deities. There is also a very famous Mosque here on this Island. Many Muslims also visit this place to offer prayers and practice their religion. Every seeker travelling to any of the holy places or practicing his /her religion ultimately has the same goal, unification with the Supreme, but just the different paths. The hostility within humans because of religion is the most unfortunate thing. We move on towards the temple. After almost same procedures of security, queues and seeing the main diety, we entered into the other half of the temple. There is a big Painting of Sudama & Krishna- depicting the scene when Sudama comes to meet (Bhet -in North Indian Dialect ) Krishna with the gift (Bhet in Hindi) which he shies away from giving when he see the affluence of Krishna. But Krishna insists on having the gift and receives it with the utmost pleasure.  The ‘act of compassion’ is what I construe from this story.

 In the afternoon we left for Ahmadabad. On our way back I was absorbed by same anxiety and thoughts. Can Krishna be confined in one idol, In one temple, then what was I actually looking, where else can he be found  I realized If at all I could, I could have found him in people, in their behaviour, in their thoughts. When I say I thought there would be more of Krishna, I actually meant people here would have more of Krishna within them and thus their lifestyle and surroundings would have an impression of the same.

So the Lord did give me the answers. If I wouldn't have visited this place I would never have realized where to seek Him. Krishna is a philosophy is an ideology. He is omnipresent, more importantly he is Inside us. We need to realize him, we need to bring him out  spread him, share him.

He is in our emotions, in our every chaste feeling , Krishna can be found in the Mothers’s love that is so virtuous, in father’s care and elder’s blessings. Krishna can be felt in a child’s innocence. He can be experienced in every deed of love and compassion. He is beyond religion and rituals. He is in the greater act of humanity. He is in the smiles and happiness. He is in the tears that thaw out even the rigid most emotions. He is in the truth and righteousness. He is in the courage that fights the evils. He is in this benevolent & bountiful nature. You think of him whole heartedly and you will find him in you, around you, guiding your life taking control of the chariot of your soul.